It's time to ban plastic chewing gum for the health of our planet and ourselves

3 March 2025, 21:33

Today, a bus-sized statement made its way to Parliament. Quite literally, a double-decker designed to highlight the staggering 12 tonnes of plastic gum the UK chews and discards every single day.

As campaigners gather outside Westminster, our message to the government is clear: it’s time to ban plastic chewing gum.

The rally is part of the Chew Plants Not Plastic campaign, which I launched alongside plastic pollution charity City to Sea. We’re calling for Environment Secretary Steve Reed to take urgent action on an often-overlooked problem: chewing gum.

While most of us would never dream of chewing a plastic bag or a car tyre, that’s effectively what’s happening. Hidden behind the vague term “gum base” are synthetic materials like polyethylene (used in plastic bags), polyvinyl acetate (found in PVA glue), and butadiene-styrene rubber (used in car tyres).

The impact on our environment is undeniable. The UK chews through approximately four billion pieces of plastic gum annually – the equivalent of four billion plastic straws. Nearly nine in 10 UK pavements are blighted by gum litter, costing taxpayers millions to clean up. Even when disposed of responsibly, plastic gum often ends up in landfills or polluting waterways.

The problem doesn’t end with the environment. Research into microplastics is growing, and the findings are increasingly concerning. Microplastics from chewing gum have been discovered in human blood, brains, and even breast milk. Scientists are beginning to link microplastic exposure to serious health issues, including cancer, diabetes, and infertility. Given this, the idea of unknowingly chewing on plastic is both unsettling and absurd.

We’ve tried the quieter route. We sent an open letter to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, supported by leading anti-plastic campaigners and nearly 25,000 signatories on our petition. Today’s protest is not just a spectacle; it’s a plea for the Government to listen. The UK has already led the way by banning plastic straws and single-use vapes, now we need to tackle plastic gum.

As someone who founded a plastic-free gum brand, I know there’s a better way, one that offers fresh breath without plastic pollution. Ultimately, this isn’t just about littered streets or clogged waterways. It’s about protecting public health and ensuring consumers have the transparency they deserve.

My hope is that today’s protest will demonstrate the strength of public feeling and that government will take this issue seriously. It’s time for the UK to lead by example and say no to plastic gum, for the health of our planet and ourselves.

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Keir Carnie is founder and CEO of Nuud.

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